Animal Companion Leveling

[Sekhmet]

You can have barding of any quality or enchantment (Player's Handbook, Armor Tables). You use the same modifiers as regular armour of it's type (EG: Plate Mail Barding is the same as Plate Mail, Leather Barding is the same as Leather).

Also, I was incorrect - an 8th level Druid only adds 4 HD (as stated by Vegepygmy). A 9th level Druid would add 6 HD - which means the Wolf would be a 6 HD total (2 based, 4 bonus).

Remember that some armour enhancements (like Calling) may work on Command Word or Use Activation, and so you need an effective intelligence and a language to use them (like your Awakened Dog does).

Also, even without proficiency, an animal can wear Masterwork Studded Leather Barding (ac 3, dex 5) at no penalty. (Nonproficiency states that you apply the armor check penalty to all attack and damage rolls, and all strength and dexterity skills - so with no armour check penalty there is no problem.)

 

[Vegepygmy]

I don't recall the rule that states animals with a higher intelligence score can no longer learn tricks, and considering the Epic Use Table for Handle Animal gives rules for teaching tricks to and rearing Magical Beasts, Vermin, and "other creatures"...

An animal with an Intelligence score above 2 is no longer an animal, but a magical beast; the awaken spell specifically notes that an awakened animal's type changes to magical beast.

The Handle Animal skill notes that "You can use this skill on a creature with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2 that is not an animal, but the DC of any such check increases by 5."

Creatures with an Intelligence score above 2 don't learn "tricks." They are smarter than that; they can actually think.

 

[Vegepygmy]

@Vegepygmy -- sekhmet is correct about the stats regarding animal companions, 10 lv Ranger = 5th Druid + 3 improved companion = 8HD

Improved Animal Companion doesn't add 3 HD to your animal companion; it adds 3 to your effective level for the animal companion class ability. Thus, a 10th-level ranger (who is normally treated as a 5th-level druid for purposes of his animal companion) with IAC is treated as an 8th-level druid.

Looking at page 36 of the Player's Handbook, you will see that an 8th-level druid with a wolf companion adds 4 (not 6) HD to the wolf, which normally has 2 HD. 2 + 4 = 6.

 

[Sekhmet]

An animal with an Intelligence score above 2 is no longer an animal, but a magical beast; the awaken spell specifically notes that an awakened animal's type changes to magical beast.

The Handle Animal skill notes that "You can use this skill on a creature with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2 that is not an animal, but the DC of any such check increases by 5."

Creatures with an Intelligence score above 2 don't learn "tricks." They are smarter than that; they can actually think.

Epic Skill Use:
Rear Magical Beast - Time 1 year - DC 30+HD of Magical Beast
Train Magical Beast - Time 2 Months - DC 40+HD of Magical Beast

At level 10, reaching DC46 would not be terribly difficult (would only need a +13 modifier).

Also, the SPECIAL listing does not suggest that creatures with intelligence scores higher than 2 cannot learn tricks, just the for any creature with a one or a two can be taught with an additional +5 DC.

 

[CrazyNinjabeast]

I do not have to use handle animal

I attracted him as a cohort, therefore he wants to listen to me, it would be like making handle people checks for a normal human cohort, it makes no sense

P.S. still don't understand the animal companion HD thing, but that's ok, it doesn't matter much anymore xD

 

[Sekhmet]

I do not have to use handle animal

I attracted him as a cohort, therefore he wants to listen to me, it would be like making handle people checks for a normal human cohort, it makes no sense

P.S. still don't understand the animal companion HD thing, but that's ok, it doesn't matter much anymore xD

Think about it this way.
A wolf has 2 HD, right?

An 8th level Druid adds 4 HD to it's animal companion. (As per the table in the Player's Handbook).

This makes the Wolf effectively 6 HD.

Animal Companions don't stay the same "level" or HD as their friends (the Druid), they just get small bonuses from time to time.

 

[CrazyNinjabeast]

I understand! I though Druid leveled up with their companions, and rangers leveled up every other level

Anyways, Jake the Dog is Finished, you Guys should look him over just to make sure I did it right


Cohort: Jake the Dog

HP: 37 + 8D10 (55 + 8D10 enlarged) (Magical Beats have a D10)
BA: +7
AC: 19 ( 21) (+3 nat for huge sized, -1 dex)
Grapple: +18 ( +26) (+4 Str. +4 size)
Str: 25 (33) (+8 size)
Con: 17 (21) (+4 size)
Int: 12
Cha: 12
Wis: 12
Dex: 15 (13) (-2 size)

Attack: Bite +14 melee (2D6 +10) (Bite +18 melee (3D6 +14))

Fort: 9 (10)
Reflex: 8 (7)
Will: 7

Skills:

Hide: 6
Listen: 9
Move Silently: 6
Spot: 9
Survival: 2 (+4 if by scent)

Special Abilities:
Trip: successful bite allows free trip (+12 modifier) (+16)

Special Qualities:
Low-Light Vision, Dark vision 60ft, Scent

Feats:
Weapon Focus (Bite), Improved Natural Armor, Improved Natural Attack

Gear:
Ring of Reduce Animal
Ring of Enlarge Animal
+2 Leather armor (Calling) +5 AC

Languages:
Dog???
Common

 

[Vegepygmy]

Epic Skill Use:
Rear Magical Beast - Time 1 year - DC 30+HD of Magical Beast
Train Magical Beast - Time 2 Months - DC 40+HD of Magical Beast

At level 10, reaching DC46 would not be terribly difficult (would only need a +13 modifier).

The Epic Level Handbook is a 3.0 supplement. The 3.0 Handle Animal skill did not allow for the rearing or training of non-animals (thus the need for special epic rules allowing it). In 3.5, training non-animals is not an epic use of the skill, it's just a +5 to the DC.

(If you prefer to use 3.0 rules, that's fine, but we can stop discussing the matter, because I'm only talking about the 3.5 rules.)

Also, the SPECIAL listing does not suggest that creatures with intelligence scores higher than 2 cannot learn tricks, just the for any creature with a one or a two can be taught with an additional +5 DC.

It absolutely does suggest that animals with Intelligence scores above 2 cannot be trained using the Handle Animal skill, since the Handle Animal skill can normally only be used to train animals, and the only exception to that is non-animals with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2.

If you could use Handle Animal to train non-animals with Intelligence scores above 2, there would be no need for the language specifically limiting it to creatures with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2. The skill description would simply read: "You can use this skill on a creature that is not an animal, but the DC of any such check increases by 5." It doesn't say that because the skill is intended only for use on creatures of animal-level intelligence (i.e., Intelligence scores of 1 or 2).

 

[CrazyNinjabeast]

[MENTION=40109]Vegepygmy[/MENTION] -- thanks for nothing ^_^

I need advise regarding Cohorts now please

 

[Sekhmet]

[MENTION=40109]Vegepygmy[/MENTION] -- thanks for nothing ^_^

I need advise regarding Cohorts now please

"Dog" is not really a language.
It looks fine from a cursory glance.

3.0, Handle Animal, Intelligence

In the 3.5 ELH update(which makes it a valid 3.5e book), the use of Handle Animal was not addressed - which means that it was carried over into 3.5e as written.

The wording in Handle Animal does not have any need to discriminate against Animals of higher than 2 Intelligence, because at the time of writing there were none.
However, you're suggesting that any animal raised above 2 intelligence in any even semipermanent fashion would be unable to learn a new trick (rather than having it's available tricks known increased by three, as the formula given provides for).

Why does a Wolf that has been Wished one point of Intelligence become unable to learn a trick?
It does not, and there is no rule that says that.

Even changing the type to Magical Beast (through whatever means) does not mean that it is going to forget the tricks that it learned or be unable to learn new tricks, although it might think them slightly demeaning.